Telomere-to-telomere gap-free genome assembly of the Hemiculter bleekeri and Hemiculter leucisculus

Hemiculter bleekeri and Hemiculter leucisculus, closely related sister species in Cyprinidae, exhibit high morphological similarity but can be distinguished by their lateral line system. Despite their close resemblance, they occupy distinct ecological niches due to divergent habitat preferences and reproductive strategies. To investigate the genetic basis of these ecological adaptations, this study aimed to generate contiguous chromosome-level genome assemblies for both species.